The honeymoon is far from over for Samara Weaving‘s final girl Grace in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which world premiered at SXSW.
The sequel picks up where Radio Silence’s (Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin) 2019 comedy horror sleeper hit left off, with the recently widowed bride covered in blood on the front steps of her burning groom’s family mansion, after they just tried to sacrifice her during a satanic game of hide-and-seek.
Waking up in the hospital, Grace is reunited with her younger sister Faith (Kathryn Newton), who is still her emergency contact despite years of estrangement. But the reunion is quickly crashed by more rich cultists who must carry out the sacrifice the Le Domas family failed to complete, with the winner of this new round of hide-and-seek gaining control of the world.
The stakes have never been higher than in the sequel, nor has the amount of gore. Following the shock ending of the first film, which saw the remaining members of the Le Domas clan exploding into a splash of blood, one by one, the gag hilariously runs rampant throughout the film, as the competing families learn the consequences of breaking their satanic benefactor Mr. Le Bail’s rules.
That’s where Elijah Wood’s nameless Lawyer comes into play, keeping the families in check as they compete for the High Council seat and the one ring to rule them all (yes, seriously). His character helps broaden the lore created in the first movie, while leaving room for a return in a potential trilogy conclusion. Meanwhile, Wood commands the screen in the creepy villainous role.
But Weaving and Newton provide the emotional center with their complicated chemistry as two sisters who must rely on each other to survive until dawn, matching comedic wits just as seamlessly as they unpack years of familial pain on screen.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy offset the sibling bond between Grace and Faith, representing a much more privileged, albeit dark, upbringing. While the pair shows genuine care for each other, their differing approaches to defending their father’s seat intensifies throughout the film to a chilling peak.
Meanwhile, another talented ensemble plays this film’s flock of privileged elites including Gellar, Hatosy, David Cronenberg, Kevin Durand, Néstor Carbonell, Maia Jae and Olivia Cheng. Each representing an entire dynasty, none of the cast is wasted in this battle royale.
This action-packed, blood-soaked sequel is just what fans have been waiting for the past seven years, hopefully paving the way for a trilogy in this sinister world Radio Silence has created.
Title: Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
Festival: SXSW (Headliner)
Distributor: Searchlight Pictures
Release date: March 20, 2026
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Screenwriters: Guy Busick, R. Christopher Murphy
Cast: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood
Running time: 1 hr 48 mins